S.J. Drum

Caged in Myth by J.T. Fairfield
(Book One: The Bayou Zoo Series)
Source: Purchase
Rating: 3/5 stars

Octavian Julius McKellter - Jay to his friends – is a zoo keeper, of sorts. Jay and his two best friends, Alex and Jace work for the Bayou Zoo and Aquarium and to most, the Bayou Zoo is a zoo like any other. But Jay and his friends know the truth: behind the mist and hidden from the general public’s sight is Area Five, the part of the Bayou Zoo that houses some of the world’s most deadly creatures including Sirens, Harpies, Gryphons, Unicorns, Kelpies, Fauns, Phoenix, and a Cerberus. Cool, right? Only if you don’t have to come into contact with them and be sure they are all well-fed and completely contained.

Here’s what I liked:
*The premise: Of course I love the zoo but a zoo full of supernatural creatures that can destroy the world is way cooler than your average run of the mill zoo! I very much like the originality of the premise.

*The plot: someone is out to “save” the caged supernatural creatures; that is, setting them free to run wild and wreak havoc on the world at large. This misguided and rather stupid sense of equality causes all kinds of problems and endangers the lives of Jay, his friends and, everyone else in the universe.

*The idea that supernaturals like Jay and his friends (Yes, they are special too!) are together as a collective group or clan for their entire lives. Like his friends, Jay has no idea who his parents are but he does know Jace and Alex have been with him every step of the way.

Here’s what I didn’t like:
*Some authors are very, very good at developing everything - plot, characters, setting, etc. - in a very short amount of time and pages. Caged is a very short read, only 100ish pages and for me, there was not nearly enough neither time nor length to develop much of anything. I really wanted just a little bit of everything.

*The repeated reminders of Jay’s sexual orientation. I do not care at all that Jay is gay and that he has the hots for Colin – what girl doesn’t like a little guy on guy action? However, in just 100ish pages, there are far too many mentions of Jay’s naughty bits and how said bits react at the mere sight of or nearness to Colin.

*The rather abrupt ending. I will be the first to admit I am not the biggest fan of a cliffhanger but after all the years and all the books, I have accepted the cliffhanger as a necessary part of writing. Caged doesn’t just end in a cliffhanger, it throws you head first off the side of Mount freakin’ Everest!! Boo 

The Bottom Line: I am well and truly on the fence with how I feel about Caged in Myth. I wanted to like this read far more than I did but am also not entirely sure I am willing to give up on the series as a whole. I like the premise and the promise that is there and am hoping book two in the series will not only be a better read for me but also be the hook that keeps me coming back for more. Here’s to round two!
Because of the language and sexual situations, this book is recommended for a very mature YA and above only.… (plus d'informations)